Sunday, August 2, 2009

BIKE BOX !!


Updated, 8/5: The City Council and staff briefly discussed BIKE BOXES at their last meeting. Could they be persuaded by public opinion to try a demonstration BIKE BOX? I don't know.
The BIKE BOX is an intersection safety design to prevent bicycle/car collisions. The main goal of a BIKE BOX is to prevent collisions between motorists turning right and cyclists going straight. It's all about visibility and awareness. At a red light, cyclists are more visible to motorists by being in front of them. At a green light, the green bike lane through the intersection reminds motorists and cyclists to watch for each other. Click the page title for a fun instructional video.
Portland has extensive experience with BIKE BOXES. Find Portland's tips, literature, videos here.
In high drama, this video clip describes how it works. (click the page title "BIKE BOX!!" for a more conventional, instructional video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx5D5CtmvTk&feature=player_embedded
According to Joel Pfundt, City Principal Transportation Planner, the BIKE BOX concept is being considered by staff but Mr. Pfundt feels Redmond doesn't have enough cyclists to justify this safety measure. If you think it's a good concept and would like to see a BIKE BOX demoed and at work on an intersection in Redmond contact the Chairman, Arnold T. of the PED/BIKE Advisory Committee or jpfundt@redmond.gov

Also contact kallen@redmond.gov , hmargeson@redmond.gov, or hmyers@redmond.gov . They are three councilmembers who ride bikes or have a relationship with the PED/BIKE Committee.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Bob,
    Glad to see you running with this one. A demo is a great idea. I 'll be looking to see what folks think.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Joel - it's not a big enough issue yet.

    ReplyDelete

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